Governor McAuliffe today signed a letter of intent declaring that the Commonwealth of Virginia will allow the First Responder Network Authority and AT&T to proceed with the deployment of the of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network in Virginia. Following today’s letter signing, Governor McAuliffe will hold a ceremonial letter signing tomorrow at FirstNet Headquarters, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, Va. at 1:30 p.m.
FirstNet is the result of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that a dedicated public safety interoperable, nationwide mobile broadband network be created to enable continued communication during a disaster or other large-scale event. The Governor’s decision marks a significant step in the realization of this recommendation.